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Best Pumpkin Patches In Orange County

October 2, 2016 6:00 AM

(credit: JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images)

Orange County may no longer be the agricultural mecca for which it was named, but what it lacks in farmland it more than makes up for in festive holiday spirit. In time for Halloween, pumpkin patches spring up all about the county, boasting bouncy houses, pony rides and the best gourds this side of Plymouth. If you prefer, you can simply get your pumpkin from a bin at the store, but your children will silently resent you.

What started with a pick-up load of pumpkins in 1978 has now grown into Orange County’s largest premier Harvest Festival. Pumpkin City is a metropolis of pumpkin-picking family fun and adventure which features everything from rides and attractions for young and old to bounce houses, carnival games, a petting zoo, swings, slides and pony rides and much more. A visit to this absolutely entertaining village of thrills and Pumpkin City will become as much a part of your Halloween tradition as candy and carving the pumpkin itself.

With 3 pumpkin patch locations around Orange County, including Corona, Santa Ana and at The Westminster Mall, The Pumpkin Factory is undoubtedly one of the best in the area. Providing families with fun-filled memories is what the Pumpkin Factory is all about! Whether you visit the Corona location or one of the others, come experience the wonder of our pumpkin patches with their fantastic rides, slides, ponies, petting zoos, games, food and more! Bring children of all ages and let them pick out their favorite pumpkin that you can take home and carve together.

Back again for their annual pumpkin patch, The Irvine Park Railroad hosts a ton of events for their gathering. Although most pumpkin patch’s offer activities like face painting, corn mazes and more, you’ll get even more at this pumpkin patch. Open daily through Halloween, the pumpkin patch is free to enter, and offers fun for the entire family. Activities here include picking your own pumpkins, riding their famous Irvine Park train, tractor races, a bounce house, taking a tractor ride around the park, entering a haunted house, and enjoy delicious food. Also enjoy climbing aboard their hay wagon pulled by a John Deere tractor, a pumpkin ring toss, cookie decorating using frosting, sprinkles and other goodies for a great fall treat, carnival games, face painting, a giant hay maze, picture stands, pony rides and much more! There are literally endless activities to keep you and your family entertained all day long.

Open throughout the entire month of October, Tanaka Farms will be featuring a ton of activities for family fun for their annual pumpkin patch. With a rich history, this family run farm has a wagon ride around the farm, as well as a U-Pick vegetable patch, a corn maze, petting zoo, and of course, tons of pumpkins. Providing an exciting environment for both adults and children of all ages, some of the events are free (corn mazes), but other activities require a small fee (petting zoo, wagon ride, etc).

If you live in or regularly visit Orange County, you have probably purchased a pumpkin or Christmas tree from Johnson Brothers. It has been doing festive business since 1989. On hand here are pony rides, bouncy houses, farm animals, tipis, face painting, kiddie rides, obstacle courses, slides and much more for kids and adults to enjoy. No self-respecting pumpkin patch would be caught without them. But what sets Johnson Brothers apart are the literally thousands of pumpkins. From truly tiny to larger than you can manage, you will find exactly the specimen you want, or rather, specifically the one your kids talk you into. Let the little ones enjoy the massive, thrilling and safe play area while you speculate on what it takes to get so many pumpkins and Halloween decorations in one place in urban Irvine. Admission is free too!

Located in the Temecula wine country, Peltzer Farms one of the Inland Empire’s best pumpkin patch destinations with pony rides, old fashioned train rides, pig races, pony rides, a tractor garden, petting zoo, a corn maze and much more. Additionally, there are many types and varieties of squash and gourds, as well as some pumpkins weighing in at more than 100 pounds. The Pumpkin Farm is open from 9am to 8pm.

Go back in time at Riley’s Farms to experience 19th century colonial life. Stretching across 760 acres of beautiful Oak Glen land, Riley’s Farm will give you a chance to go back in time to experience 19th century colonial life while also enjoying the year-round picking. In October, pumpkins are the name of the game though. So, whatever type of pumpkin you’re looking for, they have it. Pumpkins are sold per pound and there is a limit of five per family. Offering a giant assortment of all types of pumpkins from white, green, orange, big and small, you’ll have a blast looking at them all. Riley’s Farms is a gorgeous place to spend the day as a family. With fields that are several acres large, you can take a hike and pick out whatever pumpkins are perfect for you. Don’t forget to stop by the bakery for the world’s best apple pie.

Christopher Schmidt is a freelance writer experiencing and espousing the glory that is Orange County. Driven to travel, drawn to sports, spirits and celebrity, Chris’ work can be found onExaminer.com.